


Grumpy Cats and Late Night Chats

by SuperHeroTiger



Series: Kindred Spirits [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen, Irondad, Jealous Tony Stark, Kid Peter Parker, Platonic Soulmates, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Soul Guide AU, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29397867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperHeroTiger/pseuds/SuperHeroTiger
Summary: “Is everything alright Tony?” Pepper asked as he grumbled about yet another batch of paperwork that had landed on his desk. “You’ve been more irritated than normal.”Tony shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. “I don’t know. I really don’t. This morning I felt fine- great even, and then all of a sudden it just went wrong. I have no idea how or why.”At that Pepper seemed to pause, glancing over at him sympathetically, before asking “Have you sat with Buddy today?”“No. He’s been distracted,” Tony replied, hesitating when he noticed the bitterness that had seeped into his tone completely by mistake.And as if confirming his fears, Pepper hummed and flashed him an amused smile. “Go spend some time with your dog."...(Soul Guide AU, requested short story)
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Kindred Spirits [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669039
Comments: 41
Kudos: 204





	Grumpy Cats and Late Night Chats

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> I'm back again with another short story for this fun AU which was prompted by Winternightingale on the last instalment! I had a lot of fun with this idea, and I hope you don't mind that I took it in a slightly different direction hah. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you thought in the comments or if you have an idea for a one-shot you'd like to see in this series! Have a great day!  
> -Superherotiger

By all accounts, Tony had been having a great day.

The headache that had pounded at his skull like a war drum had finally broken by morning, a fresh box of Krispy Kremes had been left on his desk courtesy of Pepper, and he only had two meetings scheduled for the entire day, one of which went by in lighthearted laughter and updates at the R&D department. Even Buddy was noticeably more upbeat than usual, tail wagging to and fro with barely contained energy as he paced circles around his human companion. At lunch, Tony even went for a walk down to the local park to let the retriever enjoy the sunshine, lounging back on a quiet park bench as the birdsong swirled around them.

It had been a great day, really. Not a single thing to complain about.

So why, if that were true, was Tony suddenly hit with a wave of _irritation_ midway through his journey back to the Tower? It came without warning, without explanation, and Tony physically had to pause to try and comprehend the uncomfortable, itching sensation crawling under his skin like ants. Buddy was quick to notice his friend’s shift in attitude and turned back to face him in concern, but for some strange reason, he didn’t offer a comforting touch like he usually might. Just stared up at him with wide eyes and anxiously shifting paws.

The sight of his wary soul guide only made the dread festering in Tony’s stomach bubble over into his chest, draining away the warmth that had surrounded him only moments ago.

Tony tried to shake it off. He told himself it was nothing and just kept walking, but the rest of the day passed by in an agonising dreariness, no matter how he tried to paint it. The meeting that should have gone for one hour dragged into two, and Tony’s throat ached by the time he had finished arguing with a particularly abrasive shareholder. Not even his afternoon lab session could loosen the tension that had built up in his chest, and he nearly threw a motherboard into the wall when it refused to function properly. He was short on patience and tolerance, and even though Buddy occasionally tried to comfort him, he seemed more distracted than usual too, walking away and ignoring his companion for minutes on end before glancing back over at him in confusion.

For some reason, that part hurt the most out of his entire afternoon of frustration.

“Is everything alright Tony?” Pepper asked as he grumbled about yet another batch of paperwork that had landed on his desk. “You’ve been more irritated than normal.”

“Very funny Potts,” Tony said coldly, before cowering slightly under his assistant’s warning glare.

“Sorry Pep, didn’t mean to snap,” he quickly amended.

Her calculating eyes remained fixed on him for a moment, before she turned back to her clipboard with a sigh and asked, “Was it the board meeting?”

Tony shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. “It certainly didn’t help, but… I don’t know. I really don’t. This morning I felt fine- _great_ even, and then all of a sudden it just went wrong. I have no idea how or why.”

At that Pepper seemed to pause, glancing over at him sympathetically, before asking “Have you sat with Buddy today?”

“No. He’s been distracted,” Tony replied, hesitating when he noticed the bitterness that had seeped into his tone completely by mistake.

And as if confirming his fears, Pepper hummed and flashed him an amused smile. “Go spend some time with your dog,” she instructed kindly before pulling the document out of his hands and placing it back onto the pile for later. And as much as Tony didn’t want to confront his own twinge of -dare he say- _jealousy_ , to whatever had caught Buddy’s attention, he knew that Pepper was right.

Pepper was _always_ right.

So with a dejected sigh, Tony made his way back to the penthouse and collapsed onto the nearest couch, turning his head from where it was pressed into the cushions only when he felt fur brush against his fingers. Tony’s tired gaze met Buddy’s worried one, and for the first time that day, the soul guide seemed completely focused on him, stare unwavering as he assessed his friend with a sniff.

And despite his former grievances, Tony forced himself to sit up and scratched his fingers through the curls of Buddy’s golden fur, asking weakly “What’s wrong with me Bud? We had a good day, didn’t we?”

After taking another quick scratch behind the ear, the dog bounded up onto the couch and tucked himself into his companion’s side, rubbing his head into Tony’s chest as if to comfort him. And twisting his fingers into Buddy’s familiar pelt, Tony shut his eyes as he lamented “Why am I feeling like this…?”

* * *

**…**

* * *

Without a doubt, Peter was having an amazing day.

Ben had made his special choc-chip pancakes for breakfast, Flash wasn’t at school after coming down with the flu, and best of all, it was the day of the science fair! He’d worked tirelessly the entire month to make his display: a six-legged robot the size of a spider that could cling onto any surface and shed light into the darkness with the tiny bulb on its head. His aunt guessed he was just trying to get away reading more books past his bedtime, but the six-year-old would never confirm her suspicions, even if they were correct.

And so Peter spent most of the day setting up his corner of the gymnasium and showing off his little night light to anyone who was interested. Turns out, there were a lot of people who enjoyed seeing robots climb up walls and over books and onto hoodies, so Peter’s booth quickly became one of the most popular displays of all. It was both intimidating and exciting, and the only thing that kept the boy from self-imploding with nerves was the cat sitting peacefully at the edge of the table, offering short meows of encouragement whenever Peter stumbled.

“Isn’t this the best?” he asked when there seemed to be a lull in the crowd, combing his fingers through Tiger’s heavenly-soft fur to soothe them both. “Everyone loves our FireFly! And I think I’ve seen that kid in the blue jacket like, five times now.”

The chuckle that bubbled out of Peter’s chest was cut off by a new voice, bold and loud and full of charisma, causing both boy and cat to turn and stare at the speaker in shock.

“So what do we have here?” the man asked with a sharp smile, straightening out the non-existent creases of his ridiculously expensive suit jacket.

Peter felt his breath hitch in surprise. “You’re… you’re-“

“Justin Hammer,” the man –the rich, famous CEO of freaking _Hammer Industries_ \- introduced, eyeing the tag on Peter’s shirt as he added, “Nice to meet you… Pete, is it?”

“Um, y-yes sir,” the boy stammered as he noticed the badge pinned to the man’s suit. He’d heard there would be a special guest judge when they first announced the fair, but he’d been too excited by the prospect of creating his own robot that he’d entirely forgotten. And never would he have imagined that _Justin Hammer_ of all people would be said judge!

“No need to be nervous son,” Mr Hammer said as if he could read his very thoughts. “Besides, it seems you’ve already drawn in a crowd. Whatever you’ve got must be really something, huh?”

Chest fluttering in surprise and awe, Peter offered a sheepish smile and opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by a fierce hiss to his left.

Snapping his gaze towards the source of the growl, Peter was surprised to see Tiger on his feet and glaring icy daggers into the man before him, fur puffed up and teeth bared in a snarl. It wasn’t uncommon for Tiger to get frustrated, maybe even angry once in a while, but it was almost always without direction or a target. At least not on Peter’s end.

But here, in this moment, it was like he could only see Mr Hammer alone, his muscles bunched up and ready to leap for the man who watched Peter with a puzzled expression. And even though Peter knew logically that the cat could never hurt someone, he was hit with a sudden wave of dread when he realised just how fierce Tiger looked. How cold his eyes had become with his pupils dilated into slits.

“Are you alright son?”

Shaking himself out of his trance, Peter turned back to the man before him and stumbled “Yes! Um, s-sorry it’s just… my soul guide, he’s acting up, that’s all…”

That seemed to ease the man’s concerns somewhat, laughing away the brief moment or awkwardness as he fixed his attention back onto Peter and the little robot sitting on display. After inspecting the design with keen eyes, Mr Hammer asked for a demonstration that Peter was quick to oblige to, because as much he felt worried about his companion, the excitement of having someone as famous as Justin Hammer judging his creation was quick to sweep it aside.

Even if Tiger continued to snarl and hiss from the nearby desk. Even if the cat eventually took a swing that, thankfully, passed straight through the air when Mr Hammer shook Peter’s hand in pride. Even if the cat let out a guttural cry of protest when Hammer handed him a trophy later that afternoon, squeezing his shoulder firmly as he proclaimed, “Keep up the great work Mr Parker and you might just find a job at Hammer Industries someday.”

Of course, Peter had beamed at the high praise, and the grin that had etched into features remained long into the evening as he retold the day to his aunt and uncle. The two listened with equally fond smiles and smothered him in their tight embraces when he revealed the first-place trophy, and by the time dinner was ready it had found itself a position on the mantle piece, on display for all to see. A permanent reminder of one of the best days of Peter’s young life.

But so wrapped up in the excitement and wonder of the day, Peter almost forgot about the one figure that had obviously _not_ shared in his enthusiasm as he stepped into his bedroom that night.

“Aww, you’re not still mad are you?”

The cat huffed from his spot where he had curled up defensively on the bed, eyes covered beneath the puffy silver tail draped over his muzzle and ears drawn back in displeasure. Figuring he mustn’t be _too_ angry if he was on the bed and not his tower though, Peter crawled up to join him and tugged his tail aside like a game of hide and seek. But Tiger obviously wasn’t in the mood for games as he just blinked up at the boy with those lazy blue eyes, dejected for some reason that Peter couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

“What’s wrong Tiger? You’ve been ever mad since Mr Hammer showed up today,” the boy said as he scratched his fingers beneath the cat’s chin.

And despite trying to resist it at first, the feline eventually leant into his companion’s touch, spurring Peter to shuffle forward and wrap him in a loose embrace.

“Do you not like Mr Hammer? Is that why?” Peter asked softly, knowing fully that the cat couldn’t reply.

But it seemed this was a subject that Tiger was fiercely opinionated about as he meowed up at the boy with sharp, urgent eyes. The distaste in his tone was crystal clear.

“He didn’t seem that bad,” Peter tried to reason, only for the cat his growl his disagreement a moment later.

For some reason it just made Peter laugh though, struggling to understand the same gravity that Tiger was obviously feeling about the whole situation. The soul guide had never acted this way before. He barely reacted to anyone other than Peter in all honesty. So stroking back the thick fur that had ruffled at the back of his head, Peter offered a gentle smile and encouraged “Don’t worry, you don’t have to see him again. It was just this one time for the fair.”

A questioning glance crossed the cat’s features, and despite speaking no words, Peter seemed to understand the question.

“Are you worried I’ll go work for him one day?” he asked.

The confirmation came through the tilt of Tiger’s ears, a hint of fear mixing in with the former irritation as he shifted closer into Peter’s hold.

So realising that he could finally ease his friend’s bad mood, the boy assured warmly “I like Mr Hammer and all but… I don’t wanna work for him.”

A flicker of something bright and hopeful sparked in Tiger’s eyes, and Peter went onto to explain “Mr Hammer builds guns and stuff, but I only want to make cool robots. I don’t think it would work very well.”

And with those last words, Tiger finally seemed to relax, pressing his nose into Peter’s palm with a grateful purr which the boy accepted keenly. The soul guide wasn’t usually this openly affectionate, so he would take whatever he could get. And Peter wouldn’t lie that it made his heart soar when Tiger’s chest rumbled against his own, soothing them both into a peaceful understanding.

But with the long day of near-constant speaking and presenting finally catching up on him, Peter stifled a yawn and dropped his head against the pillow. “You don’t have to worry Tiger,” he assured one final time, his voice growing light as he added in a murmur “Hammer Industries is alright, but it’s no Stark Industries…”

* * *

**…**

* * *

Suddenly, as quickly as the frustration had appeared, it was washed away by a flood of warmth and light and _fondness._

Tony let out a breath he hadn’t even realised he’d been holding and curled his fingers more securely into Buddy’s golden fur, glancing around the living room as if he could find the source of his sudden mood shift before landing back on the dog slumped against his side. Buddy’s eyes were closed at first, but seeming to sense his companion’s stare, he blinked up at the man with those familiar doe eyes and made that flood of warmth return in force.

“Oh… of course,” Tony breathed as his shoulders finally lowered in relief. “You think I would have learnt by now that Pepper’s always right, huh?”

Buddy tilted his head in confusion, and it was so damn adorable that Tony couldn’t help but lean down and press a kiss to the top of his fluffy head. And even if the dog still didn’t quite understand the meaning, he wasted no time in jumping up to his feet and smothering his partner in a hug, tail wagging back and forth joyfully. And laughing again for the first time that afternoon, Tony returned the embrace just as fiercely and basked in the fluttering sensation that burst out of his rib cage. The feeling of relief, and excitement, and _pride_ that swelled in his heart without warning.

And finally Tony could claim -much to his delight- that he had had a great day.


End file.
